Snow plow



Aug. 29, 1939. J. E. CLAY 2,171,056

SNOW PLOW Filed Feb. 5, 19158 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOK JEIHN E. LFIH Aug. 29, 1939. J 2,171,056

SNOW PLOW Filed Feb. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F- 5 I u I NVENTOR i] BY JUHN E; Em? 1 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 FATENT QEFICE SNOW PLOW John E. Clay, Berwick, Iowa Application February 5, 1938, Serial No. 188,882

4 Claims.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a snow plow having incorporated therein an adjustable and variable drift plowing shovel arrangement that will plow down a snow drift or bank, feeding the snow directly into a rotary snow projector for depositing the snow at a distance from the road bed over which the device is traveling.

A further object of this invention is to provide a snow plow having a great capacity and one which will not clog or choke with snow.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a snow plow that is rapid in its operation and which may be moved forward at a comparatively high rate of speed.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a snow plow that is flexible and versatile in its adjustments and which will remove snow or the like from a highway or roadway leaving a minimum of snow on the'highway while, at the same time, using a minimum of power for the operation of the plow.

A still further object of. this invention is to provide a rotary snow plow and drift breaker that is economical in manufacture, durable and efficient in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of my snow plow and drift breaker ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the blower ring and shaft assembly used in my device.

Fig. 3 is a front partial sectional view of the blower or snow projector portion of. my device.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the air outlet collector.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective View of one of the vanes of the blower more fully illustrating its construction.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged top elevational view of the drift cutting assembly of my snow plow.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side View of the shovel actuating mechanism with the bar tube broken away to more fully illustrate its interior structure.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the bar tube and is taken on the line 88 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged side sectional View of one of the operating gears and housing.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side sectional view of one of the crankarms showing the mechanism of one of the shovels.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged elevational View of the spade portion of one of the shovels.

Snow plows are commonly of two types, the plow or pusher type that merely pushes the snow from the roadway and the rotary type for use in heavy snow. Obviously, the pusher type is of, little use in deep drifts and is only useful for light snow. The rotary types now commonly used cut into drifts slowly and it is very easy to clog or choke the cutter and blower when large drifts are encountered. These machines are unwieldy, complicated in structure and require a great deal of power to operate. Due to the extreme cost and low capacity of these rotary plows they are not suitable for use on highways nor are they efficient enough for this type of work.

I have overcome such disadvantages as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

I have used the numeral ID to designate the housing of the rotary projecting portion of my device. This housing is approximately circular in cross-section, having openings on its front and rear fiat portions and having on its top side portion, an opening or projecting nozzle l l as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In use, this housing is secured to the front of a truck, locomotive or other vehicle through the medium of a frame l2 which is rigidly secured to the housing I0. Rotatably mounted within the housing H] is a rotor composed of two spaced apart parallel rings l3 and I4 having fastened thereto, a plurality of angle irons 15. These angle irons l5 have their flanges or one of their leg portions extending inwardly toward the center of the ring, are substantially parallel to the longitudinal center of the complete rotor and form the inner or pick-up vanes of the device. The numeral 16 designates a plurality of vanes secured adjacent the outer peripheral edges and extending between the rings I3 and M as shown. These vanes are securely welded in place and each have one of their end portions extending beyond the forward opening of the housing IE and thence downwardly and rearwardly at an angle as shown in Fig. 5. These vanes are spaced at intervals about the peripheral edges of the rings I3 and I4 and approximately equidistant between the vanes l5. Thus these vanes l6 serve as the projecting vanes and also the portion extending forwardly acts as a cutter for aiding in the disintegration and feeding of the snow into the housing Ill. I have designated these integrally formed cutting lugs of the vanes I6 by the numeral H. The numeral I8 designates a bracket member rigidly secured to the ring l3 extending downwardly and forwardly toward the central portion of the rotor for receiving the operating shaft I9. The shaft has its end portion rigidly secured to the bracket [8 and extends rearwardly through the housing, in which it is suitably bearinged. The other end of this shaft would be connected to the ordinary power takeoff or other driving means to which the device is attached. In operation, the rotor is rotated in a counterclock-wise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The vanes l5 pick up the material entering within the ring l4 and the vanes [6 project or throw the material with high velocity out through the projecting nozzle I I. The hole or opening in the rear of the housing I0 is for the purpose of allowing air, trapped behind the snow entering the housing, to escape. For the purpose of directing this air, I have provided a manifold housing 20 which is secured to the rearward flat face of the housing It! and extends upwardly terminating in a nozzle as shown in the Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. It will here be noted that the bracket [8, primarily used for connecting the drive shaft 19 to the rotor, will act as a vane for breaking up any lumps of snow within the rotor. Adjacent the lower edge of the opening within the front of the housing I0 is a scoop or director 2| for guiding the snow or like into the housing [0. Positioned forwardly of the housing H) is the drift breaking attachment of my device which I will now describe.

I have used the numeral 22 to designate bracket arms having one of their ends rotatably secured to the housing ll! in a suitable manner. The numeral 23 designates a main supporting bar of the drift breaking attachment which is secured to the other end of each of the brackets 22 as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. This supporting bar extends across the face portion of the housing In in front of the forward opening. The numeral 24 designates a tube or shaft having its rearward end rigidly secured to the bar 23 and extending forwardly. This tube is hollow or cylindrical and has a slot 25 cut diametrically through it as shown in the drawings. I have used the numeral 26 to designate a carrier slidably mounted within the tube 24. The numerals 2i and 23 designate crankarms having their central portions rotatably mounted in the carrier 26 as shown in Fig. 6. The numerals 29 and 30 designate two parallel hanger arms or brackets positioned on either side of the tube 24 and a substantial distance therefrom, and having their rearward ends rotatably mounted on the supporting bar or bracket 23 and having rotatably mounted in their other ends, the outside end portions of the cranks 2i and 28 respectively. It will here be noted that the bearing point of the crankarms 21 and 28 within the carrier 26 is approximately equidistant between the extreme throw of the crankarms and the bearing point of the crankarms within the hangers 29 and 30 respectively.

1 have used the numeral 31 to designate a shovel rotatably mounted on the crankarm 2'! having its forward edge portion bent downwardly on an arc and formed into the claw or teeth members 32 as shown in Figs. and 11. Similarly, the numeral 33 designates a shovel rotatably mounted on the crankarm 28. These shovels 3i and 33 have rigidly secured thereto, the sleeves 34 parallel with their longitudinal centers. The numeral 35 designates a bracket having its central portion rigidly secured to the rearward end of the carrier 26 extending out through the slot 25 and then upwardly and thence outwardly from the center. The numerals 36 designate rods having one of their ends rotatably secured to the two respective ends of the brackets 35 and their other ends slidably engaging the sleeves 3 3 on the shovels 3i and 33. The numerals 3i and 33 designate spades rigidly secured adjacent the end portions of the hangers 29 and 353 respectively, and at an angle thereto. As the crankarms will force the carrier to slide when they are rotated it is necessary to have a reciprocating rotary drive mechanism for operating the crankarms. This drive mechanism I will now describe.

I have used the numeral 39 to designate a bearing element rigidly secured to the tube 34 near its rearward end portion. The numeral 58 designates a bevel gear having an elongated sleeve thereon which is rotatably mounted within the bearing 39. This sleeve on the gear 49 is prevented from reciprocatory movement by the small flange (it as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The numeral 22 designates a square orifice out completely through the gear assembly 4!! and its attendant sleeve. I have used the numeral 43 to designate an elongated square drive shaft having one end slidably mounted Within the orifice of the gear di The numeral 44 designates a bearing element rigidly secured to the carrier 25 for rotatably supporting the other end of the shaft '33 relative to the carriage or carrier 25. The numeral designates a worm gear rigidly secured to the forward end of the shaft 43. I have used the numeral 46 to designate a gear rigidly secured to the crankarm 2'5 adjacent its bearing portion within the carrier 26 and which is in operative engagement with the worm gear -35 as shown in Fig. '7. i have used the numeral ii to designate a shaft suitably bearinged and rotatably mounted above the bar or bracket 23. The numeral as indicates a double gear secured to one end of the shaft ll and in operative engagement with the gear 60 as shown in Fig. 6. Secured to the other end of the shaft ll is a gear 39 Which is in turn, in operative engagement with a gear 513 that is rotatably mounted in the end of the bracket 23. I have used the numeral 5! to designate a chain or like driving means for operatively connecting the gear 58 to a source of motive power. Ordinarily, this chain 5! would be in engagement with a driving wheel 52 secured to the side of the housing ill which in turn would be powered by the vehicle to which the plow is attached. This permits the free raising or lowering of the entire plow or drift plowing assembly without interfering with the driving of the mechanism. The numeral 53 designates a guiding plate or guiding vane rigidly s-ecured on the under side of the tube 24 and extending downwardly as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The practical operation of my device is as follows: The frame i2 is secured to the forward end of a vehicle and the shaft 59 is coupled with the power take off of the vehicle to which the device is attached. Also, the drive wheel assembly 52 is connected to a suitable source of motive power. The device now ready for operation. The rotor will. be rotated by the shaft #9 and the drift cutter will be actuated. As the device is moved forwardly, the bar 23 is pulled upwardly to give sufficient height to the drift cutting attachment.

The chain 5;] will actuate the gear 56 which in turn will actuate the gear 49 rotating the shaft 41 which rotates or actuates the gear 48. The gear 48 being in engagement with the gear 40 will rotate this gear 40 and sleeve, which in turn rotates the square shaft 43, thereby actuating the worm gear 95, turning the gear 46 and actuating the crankarm assemblies 2'! and 28. As the crankarms 27 and 28 are rotated, the shovels are kept in their normal positions through the medium of the rod 36 and the rack 35. Thus, in operation, the shovels will reach upwardly and thence travel a downward course at the forward throw of the crankarms 21 and 28 and will then pull directly to the rear until it reaches the other extreme radius of rotation relative to the bearing point of the crankarms 21 and 28 within the hangers 29 and 30 respectively. As the hangers 29 and 39 are pivotally secured to the bar or chassis member 23, they can swing in an upwardly direction during the rotation or actuation of the crankarms. This permits a digging or shoveling action to be imparted to the blades 3| and 33. Also, as these hangers 29 and 30 pursue their vertical course, the shovel or spade elements 31 and 38 will slice or carve the edges of the drift of snow, tumbling this snow into the path of the shovels 3| and 33.

The snow thus loosened by the drift cutting assembly will be picked up on the lip or scoop 2! of the housing In where it will be introduced into the drum or rotor of the device. Excess snow or ice will be broken up by the lugs I! of the vane l6 and the snow will be picked up by the vanes 15 of the rotor. When large lumps of snow enter the housing I0, it is obvious that a great amount of air will be trapped behind the snow which must be relieved in order that the snow may feed into the rotor. The excess air in my device will be forced out through the rear opening of the housing If! and up through the air outlet manifold 20. Due to the rapid rotation of the rotor and the shape of the housing I 0, the outer vanes I6 will propel the snow out of the housing and through the nozzle II at high velocity, thus depositing the snow at a considerable distance from the roadbed over which the device is traveling. Obviously, by pivoting the two arm elements 22 on the housing II], the complete drift plowing assembly may be elevated to any height. This is highly important, especially in cases where the height of the snow drift exceeds the height of the snow plow. However, regardless of this attitude or angle of the drift plowing attachment, the shovels 3| and 33 will carve paths in the drift and in conjunction with the spades 37 and 38 will break down the drift and pull the loosened snow into the housing ID from which it will be expelled. By having the crankarm assembly slidably and rotatably mounted at its center and rotatably supported by the hangers 29 and 30 on a different center, the device can easily reach out the maximum distance or throw of the crankarms while at the same time, impart a substantially straight pull against the snow during its approximate horizontal travel. Due to the high velocity with which the rotor within the housing H! rotates, the vanes l5 and It: can easily and efficiently handle all of the snow forced within the housing without choking or clogging and with enough force to expel all of the snow through the nozzle outlet II. It is obvious that any number of shovels may be used on the drift plowing attachment of my device and it is also obvious that any number of vanes l5 or vanes 19, depending upon the size of the rotor and velocity at which it is rotated, may be used.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a snow plow that is extremely eflicient, being able to cut through large drifts of snow at a very rapid rate with the expenditure of a minimum amount of power. Thus I have fulfilled all of my objects and overcome objections heretofore encountered in machines or plows in use.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved snow plow without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a substantially cylindrical housing designed to be secured to the forward end of an automotive vehicle, an intake opening in the forward end of said housing, a lip adjacent the lower peripheral edge of said opening and extending forwardly of said housing, two spaced apart parallel rings in said housing, a means for rotatably supporting said rings in said housing, a plurality of parallel vanes about the inner peripheral edges of said rings extending inwardly, a plurality of parallel vanes about the outer peripheral edges of said rings extending outwardly, lugs integrally formed on said last mentioned vanes extending forwardly and through said intake opening in said housing, and an outlet opening adjacent the upper side of said housing.

2. In a device of the class described, a substantially cylindrical housing designed to be secured to the forward end of an automotive vehicle, an intake opening in the forward end of said housing, a lip adjacent the lower peripheral edge of said opening and extending forwardly of said housing, two spaced apart parallel rings in said housing, a means for rotatably supporting said rings in said housing, a plurality of parallel vanes about the inner peripheral edges of said rings extending inwardly, a plurality of parallel vanes about the outer peripheral edges of said rings extending outwardly, lugs integrally formed on said last mentioned vanes extending forwardly and through said intake opening in said housing, an outlet opening adjacent the upper side of said housing, and an air outlet in the rearward side of said housing and in communication with the inside of said housing.

3. In a device of the class described, a substantially cylindrical housing designed to be secured to the forward end of an automotive vehicle, an intake opening in the forward end of said housing, two spaced apart parallel rings in said housing, a means for rotatably supporting said rings in said housing, a plurality of parallel vanes about the inner peripheral edges of said rings extending inwardly, a plurality of parallel vanes about the outer peripheral edges of said rings extending outwardly, lugs integrally formed on said last mentioned vanes extending forwardly and through said intake opening in said housing, and an outlet opening adjacent the upper side of said housing.

4. In a device of the class described, a substantially cylindrical housing designed to be secured to the forward end of an automotive vehicle, an intake opening in the forward end of said housing, two spaced apart parallel rings in said housing, a means for rotatably supporting said rings in said housing, a means for rotatably supporting said rings in said housing, a plurality of parallel vanes about the inner peripheral edges of said rings extending inwardly, a plurality of parallel vanes about the outer peripheral edges of said rings extending outwardly, lugs integrally formed on said last mentioned vanes extending forwardly and through said intake opening in said housing, an outlet opening adjacent the upper side of said housing, and an air outlet in the rearward side of said housing and in communication with the inside of said housing.

JOHN E. CLAY. 

